A simple report relating to the toxicity issues associated with fluoride.

Fluoride and mandatory public medication.

Fluoride – A Historically Known Toxin, and still pushed by many Councils.

Prior to 1945 when communal water fluoridation took effect, fluoride was a known toxin.

For example, a 1936 issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association stated that fluoride at the 1 ppm (part per million) concentration is as toxic as arsenic and lead.

The Journal of the American Medical Association stated in their September 18, 1943 issue, that “fluorides are general protoplasmic poisons that change the permeability of the cell membrane by certain enzymes.” And, an editorial published in the Journal of the American Dental Association, October 1, 1944, stated, "Drinking water containing as little as 1.2 ppm fluoride will cause developmental disturbances. We cannot run the risk of producing such serious systemic disturbances. The potentialities for harm outweigh those for good."

More recently, Christopher Bryson, award winning journalist and former producer at the BBC revealed the multi-tiered abuse of power by military and industry scientists and public health officials in his book The Fluoride Deception. In it, he describes the intertwined interests that existed in the 1940’s and 50’s between the aluminum industry, the U.S. nuclear weapons program, and the dental industry, which resulted in fluoride being declared not only safe, but “beneficial to human health.”

The political back story of how fluoride was introduced into your drinking water reads like a cross between a psychological thriller and mind-boggling science fiction.

Read Bryson’s book, and you’ll never think of fluoride the same again… Because the bottom line is that when you swallow fluoride, it does nothing to decrease disease, it merely accelerates it.

Do You Know What’s REALLY in Your Water?

What would you do if you suddenly found out that “fluoride,” which advocates claim is an all-natural element that you ingest anyway and is good for your teeth and bones, was not safe at all, but was actually a carcinogenic industrial waste?

That’s right! The fluoride in your water supply is not what you think it is.

The natural form of mineral fluoride found both in nature and in your teeth and bones, is called Apatite (calcium fluoro-chloro-hydroxyl phosphate).

Inside your mouth, there is a natural equilibrium between hydroxyl-apatite (calcium phosphate) dissolving and forming in your tooth enamel from substances occurring naturally in your saliva. Like everything else, your diet and various physical conditions shift this equilibrium back and forth constantly.

When you have more calcium phosphate dissolving than being adhered, you end up with a demineralization condition called caries. This is when cavities form in your teeth.

However, this has nothing to do with fluoride or fluoridation, but a good fib must always start with a kernel of truth, or else no one will listen to you.

So when it comes to the so-called “health benefits” of fluoride, it’s essential to understand what’s really being added to your water and other products you use on a regular basis, such as toothpaste.

When “fluoride” is added to your drinking water, it’s NOT the natural mineral. Instead, the fluoride in question is another chemical fluoride compound – the toxic waste product from phosphate fertilizer plants.

There are three basic compounds commonly used for fluoridating water supplies:

• Sodium fluoride (NaF)

• Sodium silicofluoride

• Hydrofluorosilicic acid

   

  The last two, sodium silicofluoride and hydrofluorosilicic acid, are the compounds used for water fluoridation, with hydrofluorosilicic acid being the most commonly used additive, according to the CDC.

These are chemical byproducts of aluminum, steel, cement, phosphate, and nuclear weapons manufacturing. Such fluoride is manmade, and in this form, fluoride has no nutrient value and no health benefits whatsoever.

But there’s yet another tidbit that is not talked about openly, and that is the fact that these hazardous industrial wastes – the fluoride compounds actually added to your water -- have NEVER been fully tested to ascertain their full potential health hazard.

Instead, the pharmaceutical grade “sodium fluoride” (the first one on the list) is used in the majority of studies evaluating the risk to human health.

Therefore, the real danger to your health may be far greater than any of the studies done so far have shown, and numerous studies have already identified the pharmaceutical grade sodium fluoride as a toxic agent, capable of doing irreparable harm to your body.

Fluoride May Actually CAUSE More Cavities Than it Prevents!

Studies have also shown that fluoride does not even help prevent cavities, which is the number one reason for water fluoridation in the first place.

Instead, studies have shown that consuming too much fluoride might actually cause tooth decay.

One such study, published in the September 2001 issue of International Journal of Pediatric Dentistry, found that South African children who drank water containing high levels of natural fluoride (3 ppm), had more tooth decay than children in other parts of South Africa who drank much lower concentrations (between 0.19 to 0.48 ppm).

And fluoride-saturated American teenagers had twice the rate of cavities as the South African children drinking low levels of natural fluoride!

The Many Health Dangers of Fluoride

According to information from its Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), and from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the pharmaceutical grade sodium fluoride is a dangerous toxin that can cause serious physical harm.

The chemical targets your:

• Kidneys

• Heart

• Gastrointestinal system

• Bone and skeletal structures

• Teeth

• Nerves

The MSDS for sodium fluoride also states that fluoride compounds can induce:

• Systemic toxic effects on your heart, liver, and kidney

• Depleted calcium levels in your body leading to hypocalcaemia and death

It points out that the toxic effect of fluoride might be delayed, and that laboratory experiments have resulted in the development of tumors.

In order to understand the long-term dangers of fluoride, it’s important to realize that fluoride is a cumulative poison.

Ninety-eight percent of the fluoride you ingest in water is absorbed into your blood through your gastrointestinal tract. From there, it enters your body’s cellular tissues. On average, about 50 percent of the fluoride you ingest each day gets excreted through your kidneys. The remainder accumulates in your teeth and bones, pineal gland, and other tissues, such as the aorta.

The amount deposited into your bones and teeth varies depending on your age. In children, more than 50 percent of an ingested dose of fluoride is deposited in bone, but in adults only about 10 percent is stored there.

As with teeth, fluoride is deposited in bone by the ionic exchange with hydroxyl-apatite as mentioned earlier. It does dissolve from bone as well, but at a slower rate than it is deposited, so if your intake remains constant, the level of fluoride in your bones increases linearly with age.

Therefore, if your kidneys are damaged, fluoride accumulation will increase, and with it, the likelihood of harm.

• There are numerous health problems associated with the accumulation of fluoride in your body, such as:

• Hyperactivity and/or lethargy

• Arthritis

• Dental fluorosis (staining and pitting of teeth)

• Lowered thyroid function

• Lowered IQ, and dementia

• Disrupted immune system

• Fluoride also causes genetic damage and cell death, inactivates at least 62 enzymes in your body, and accelerates the aging process.

• Overdosing is Easy

When water fluoridation first began, the “optimal” level of fluoride for dental benefit was said to be 1 mg/day for an adult male, based on the estimate that the average adult male drank one liter of water per day. However, even at that level, 10 percent of the population (those in the high-risk group) was expected to get fluorosis.

But water is not the only source of added fluoride.

Although you may not know it, you are exposed to fluoride from many sources other than the obvious lineup of toothpastes and mouth rinses.

Far less obvious sources of fluoride include:

• Food and beverages processed with fluoridated water

• Mechanically de-boned meat

• Pesticide residue on food

• Pharmaceutical drugs, especially SSRI antidepressants and fluoroquinolone antibiotics like Cipro

• Soy baby formulas

• Instant tea

A 1991 review by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services shows just how drastic your overexposure might be when taking multiple sources into account.

Fluoride exposure levels for a 110-pound adult from food, beverages, toothpaste, and mouthwash

Fluoride Concentration in Drinking Water

Total Fluoride Intake Percentage Over 1 mg "Optimal" Dosage Unfluoridated Communities

< 0.3 mg/L 0.88 - 2.20 mg/day as much as 120 % "Optimally" Fluoridated 0.7-1.2 mg/L

1.58 - 6.60 mg/day as much as 560 % Fluoridated communities > 2.0 mg/L 2.10 - 7.05 mg/day

possible > 605 %

If you were to evaluate all the sources of fluoride you’re exposed to on a regular basis, you may be shocked by how much fluoride you and your children are actually ingesting.

Diet, Not Fluoride Builds Healthy Teeth

If you’re wondering how to keep your teeth healthy, remember that fluoride was never the answer in the first place.

Instead, you need to look to your diet if you want healthy teeth. In fact, most people whose diet includes very little sugar and few processed foods have very low rates of tooth decay.

Limiting or eliminating sugar, and avoiding processed foods and eating plenty of green vegetables and vitamin K2 -- along with regular cleanings with your natural dentist – is the best way to ensure your teeth stay healthy naturally.

Further Education

We strongly advise you to continue educating yourself about fluoride and to avoid it as much as you can.

The Fluoride Action Network is a phenomenal resource for further education, and they’re doing much to pressure the US government for change. Their Statement asking Congress to end water fluoridation in the United States has now been signed by over 2,750 professionals.

There are also a number of books on the subject that are well worth reading, including:

The Fluoride Deception by Christopher Bryson

Health Effects of Ingested Fluoride by Bernard Meyer Wagner

Fluoridation: the Great Dilemma by George L. Waldbott

Fluoride the Aging Factor : How to Recognize and Avoid the Devastating Effects of Fluoride by Dr. John Yiamouyiannis

Scientific Knowledge in Controversy: The Social Dynamics of the Fluoridation Debate by Brian Martin.

The Grim Truth About Fluoridation by Robert M. Buck

Limiting our exposure to fluoride? What can we do?

From the information such as that above we are hopefull that more and more of us are becoming informed of the effect of fluoride on our health. We do need to be careful, and with what appears to be a rather biased approach from most councils around the country what should we do?

I even remember going to a meeting here in Taupo a few years back when the fluoridation of our town supply was being hotly debated. An internationally renowned specialist was here to present up to date research papers to the local council and guess what? The council had already written their response BEFORE the information was presented! Hows that for having an open mind!

The issue is the mandatory public medication and with this a the lack of choice, in todays market place the fluoride is difficult to avoid completely but there are things you can do to reduce your personal exposure.

Food and medicines that include water will often contain fluoride and an important food in this regard is Infant formula. Reconstituting Infant formula with fluoridated water can deliver a very high dose to the baby. As an example, formula made with fluoridated water will contain 100 to 200 times more fluoride(1000 ppb)than is found in found in breast milk(5-10 ppb).

So if you do have a baby in the home you may want to consider:

Another obvious one is STOP using fluoridated toothpaste. Children in particular don't have well developed swallowing reflexes and as a result often swallow toothpaste. Dental fluorosis and an increased total systemic intake are the risks here. Even without the swallowing issue for older children(and adults) it is likely that fluoride will enter the bloodstream via the very sensitive tissue of the gums and bucal cavity - these surfaces are highly absorptive.

Order your fluoride free toothpaste here

Minimise your intake of soft drinks and cordials as these are often manufactured using fluoridated tap water.

Avoid drinking too much tea(black and green). Tea almost always has high levels of fluoride, this is a natural phenomena, fluoride is absorbed naturally into tea plants from soil and rain water, and will vary from year to year and even in different regions of the world.

Avoid the use of Teflon cookware as this may also increase the fluoride content in your food.  

The following are excerpts from:

Fluoride—What's Wrong With This Picture?

By Andreas Schuld - head of Parents of Fluoride Poisoned Children (PFPC).

Fluoride, according to the 1984 issue of Clinical Toxicology of Commercial Products, 5th Edition (1984) is more poisonous than lead and just lightly less poisonous than arsenic. It is used as a rat poison. The EPA has set 0.015 ppm as the maximum “safe” level for lead in drinking water—yet the maximum “safe” level for fluoride is currently set at 4.0ppm, over 250 times the permissible level for lead.

Studies have shown that fluoride causes motor dysfunction, IQ deficits and/or learning disabilities in humans. Fluoride exposure impairs memory and concentration, and causes lethargy, headache, depression and confusion in humans. Interestingly, suicide occurs more frequently than expected in populations of fluoride workers.

In 1957 it was found that even waters containing a mere 0.1ppm (0.1 mg/l) could cause dental fluorosis, the first visible sign of fluoride overdose. Moreover, there is not one single double-blind study to indicate that fluoridation is effective in reducing cavities.

Dental fluorosis is a condition caused by an excessive intake of fluorides, characterised mainly by mottling of the enamel (which starts as ”white spots"). Dental fluorosis can only occur during the stage of enamel formation and is therefore a sign that an overdose of fluoride has occurred in a child during that period.

The dental profession describes the defect as merely “cosmetic."

What is now becoming apparent is that this “cosmetic" defect actually predisposes to tooth decay.

The world's largest study on dental caries, which looked at 400,000 students, revealed that decay increased 27 percent with a 1ppm fluoride increase in drinking water.

In Japan, fluoridation caused decay increases of 7 percent in 22,000 students, while in the US a decay increase of 43 percent occurred in 29,000 students when 1ppm fluoride was added to drinking water.

Currently up to 80 percent of US children suffer from some degree of dental fluorosis, while in Canada the figure is up to 71 percent.

Before the push for fluoridation began, the dental profession recognised that fluorides were not beneficial but detrimental to dental health. In 1944, the Journal of the American Dental Association reported: “With 1.6 to 4ppm fluoride in the water, 50 percent or more people past age 24 have false teeth because of fluoride damage to their own teeth."

The fluoride compound in “naturally" fluoridated waters is calcium fluoride. However, this is NOT the compound used to fluoridate water! Sodium fluoride and Hydrofluorosilicic acid are used in over 90 percent of fluoridation programs.

Hydrofluorosilicic acid is a direct by-product of pollution scrubbers used in the phosphate fertiliser and aluminium industries.

Animal studies have revealed that hydrofluorosilicic acid and sodium fluoride are much more toxic than calcium fluoride.

Fluoride facts

• 1. The assertion that fluoride is good for teeth is a myth

• 2. Countries with the best dental health do not fluoridate drinking water

• 3. There is enough fluoride in a tube of toothpaste to kill a small child

European Fluoride facts

• 1. 98% of Europe's drinking water is fluoridation-free

• 2. The fluoride added to Irish drinking water is toxic waste from the fertiliser industry

• 3. Less than 2% of Europe's population have fluoridated water.

• 4. Sweden banned fluoridation in 1971.

• 5. West Germany discontinued fluoridation in 1971.

• 6. Norway rejected fluoridation in 1975.

• 7. Holland banned fluoridation in 1976 and changed its constitution so that it could never again be introduced.

• 8. Denmark rejected fluoridation in 1977. The Minister for Environment stated, "no adequate studies had been carried out on the long term effect on human organ systems".

• 9. France rejected fluoridation in 1980. The Chief of Public Health declared it was too dangerous.

• 10. 25 out of 26 Councils in Northern Ireland have recently rejected fluoridation.

USA Fluoride Facts

Since 1990 over 45 US cities have rejected fluoridation.

In 1990 forty US dentists brought a case against the American Dental Association contending that the Association purposefully shielded the public from data that links fluoride to genetic defects, cancer and other health problems.

All US fluoride toothpaste must carry a poisons symbol, with a warning to contact the nearest poisons unit if more than a pea-sized amount of toothpaste is swallowed.

In 1997 the Union of Government Scientists of the United States Environmental Protection Agency voted unanimously to co-sponsor a Californian initiative to ban fluoridation, stating "Our members review of the body of evidence over the last 11 years, including animal and human epidemiology studies, indicates a causal link between fluoride/fluoridation and cancer, genetic damage, neurological impairment and bone pathology."